New Delhi (PTI): Sixteen years after a waiter at Nirula’s snack bar in the heart of the capital spilled sambar on an advocate, a court has held the restaurant guilty of deficiency in service and ordered it to pay him token damages of Re 1.

Additional sessions judge Narottam Kaushal held that the waiter and the restaurant were jointly and severally liable to pay Re 1 to the lawyer “towards deficiency in service, subsequent defiant attitude and for injuries suffered by the complainant”.

Jitender Mohan Gupta had alleged that in the evening of June 9, 1987, a server at Nirula’s in Connaught Circus spilled a bowl of sambar on his legs.

Gupta claimed that it spoilt his trousers and caused itching on his legs. The restaurant did not allow him to enter the incident in their complaint book, he said.

While admitting that he was employed with Nirula’s, the server denied that any such incident took place.

The court took note of a letter from Nirula’s dated October 29, 1987, inviting Gupta for a meeting to have free lunch in any of its outlets. It was indicative of the fact that the restaurant attempted a settlement with him, the court said. But Gupta had declined the offer.

Caste clash kills one in Meerut

Meerut (PTI): One person was killed and six were injured when rival castes of Muslims clashed on Sunday in the Lasari Gate area of the city.

The groups indulged in heavy brickbatting and set ablaze three vehicles, including one of television news channel Aaj Tak.

District magistrate Amit Mohan said trouble broke out in the morning after one Rahim was killed by rival caste members in the weekly leather market on Hapur Road.

Soon mobs took to the streets and set ablaze the vehicles, including the Aaj Tak car carrying cameras and other equipment, he said. A two-wheeler showroom was also set on fire.

People threw bricks from the roofs of houses at rival caste members, Mohan added.

Police officials, including deputy inspector-general Gurudarshan Singh and senior superintendent of police Mukul Goel, reached the spot and suspended station officer Rampal Singh. Thirty people have been arrested, police said.

Met men call off airport stir

Patna (PTI): Meteorological office employees who went on an indefinite strike from Sunday morning, triggering a crisis at Patna airport, called it off in the evening after being assured of enhanced security and an inquiry into their clash with Indian Airlines officials on Saturday.

The clash broke out at the Met office when an IA loader instead of a flight despatcher went to the office, located within the airport premises, and demanded the clearance report for a flight in writing which was refused.

Indians in drug net

Kathmandu (PTI): Two Indians and a Nepali national was arrested on Sunday for allegedly trafficking drugs. Nepal police arrested the Indians, Sohanlal Madhesiya, 25, and Manoj, alias Dilip Sharma, 16, of Kailashnagar and recovered 150 gm brown sugar from them.

Water park mishap

Jaipur (PTI): A student was electrocuted at a water park located on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway, police said. The tragedy occurred on Saturday when 1,600 students of Saraswati Vidhya Mandir went to Pink Pearl park.

Principal gets bail

Mumbai (PTI): A sessions court has granted anticipatory bail to five employees of Wilson College, including its principal, who feared arrest in a case of alleged abetment of suicide of the librarian. Police found a note from Darshani Jadhav’s purse that accused the five persons of mentally harassing her.

Runover deaths

Kozhikode (PTI): Two women were run over by an express train at Quilandy station near here on Sunday, railway sources said. The women were waiting for the Kannur Express to pass the down-line track, but did not notice the Mangalore-Thiruvananthapuram Parasuram Express coming on the same track on which they were standing.

Chlorine leak

Pune (PTI): At least 12 people, including six firemen, took ill following a gas leak from a chlorine cylinder at the military engineering service store here. All of them are out of danger.

Mumbai mayor Mahadeo Deole flagged off 100 motorcycles on Sunday as part of a World Peace Day rally from the Bandra-Worli sealink. The rally visited the sites of the August 25 blasts and observed a minute’s silence.